Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree aimed at recognizing the historical territories in Russia inhabited by Ukrainians, coinciding with Ukrainian Unity Day.
The decree seeks to restore the truth about the historical past of Ukrainian areas in Russia and protect the rights of ethnic Ukrainians living there.
It calls for an action plan to preserve the national identity of Ukrainians in Russia and study crimes committed against them.
Zelenskyy said, “Today we must take steps not only to strengthen the unity of Ukraine and our people, but also to act for the unity of rights and freedoms, the truth about Ukrainians, the truth about us and the truth about our history. To this end, today I signed the decree ‘On the territories of the Russian Federation historically inhabited by Ukrainians’.”
The decree can be seen as Ukraine using Russia’s rhetoric against it, as Russia had previously claimed to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine.
The decree also reflects broader tensions in Eastern Europe regarding minority rights, as Ukraine is also in dispute with Hungary over the treatment of its ethnic Hungarian-speaking minority.
Senator Ron Johnson: Zelensky wanted to do a peace agreement with Putin
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 24, 2024
Russia has denied mistreating Ukrainians, despite evidence to the contrary.
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said, “Contrary to the predictions of Kyiv propagandists, Russians and Ukrainians, and other nationalities, live there in peace and harmony”.
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